Verevolves vere inwented een Russia
by PunyTweeling97
Summary: "But how come they aren't killing the people they bite, and aren't, you know, eating people?" Pavel turned slightly, his face slightly more amused than the situation called for. "Maybe, zhey are wegetarian Verevolves." In Russia for an advanced pilot simulation, Hikaru Sulu learns of the existence of Weres, and meets a smartass Russian who quickly becomes his best friend. AU
1. Why Hikaru really hates bears

**Hello lovely people! Since I am in a good mood and it's my birthday tomorrow (Finally, I can answer how old I am with 'sewenteen, sir!')I have decided to post up this chapter of the first actual plot driven story I am working on. I am not giving up on _Hellions of the Enterprise, _however I will be juggling updates for each.**

**I own none of the characters in this fic, but I'm fairly sure you all know that already! **

**Hope you enjoy! :)**

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It wasn't until the shuttle doors opened with their characteristic hydraulic hiss, that Hikaru Sulu appreciated exactly how cold Russia was. Having spent the entire flight in relative warmth, the sharp crisp air was an unpleasant change.

Gritting his teeth, he swung his bag onto his shoulder and stood up while rubbing his arms vigorously; thank goodness he had the forethought to wear his winter gear while on the shuttle; while it was slightly uncomfortable then, it was a blessing now.

He could see some of his class mates frantically pulling out their winter uniforms, all the while griping about the temperature.

Of course, Sulu was also complaining, but he had the decency to do so silently.

As the brisk wind whistled through the open door, Sulu found it difficult to process that only two days ago, he had been sitting in one of his mandatory lectures, minding his own business and defiantly not paying attention to what the professor was talking about, when he was taken out of class by his piloting instructor.

He could still feel that rush of pride at being told that he was part of a group of select few who were chosen to go to Russia to take an exclusive piloting simulation.

Now that he was here, however, the cold was a much more realistic barrier. Of course he knew that it was going to be cold, it was Russia of course, though back in San Francisco, that knowledge was very much detached and didn't really seem real at the time.

Filing out of the shuttle with the rest of his class mates, he could finally appreciate the scenery.

The landing strip they were on was unremarkable and none too aesthetically pleasing, however, the little town they were going to stay in for the five days they were there for was something different.

It reminded him of one of those little towns featured on Christmas cards or post cards. The houses and shops were small and softly lit, making the crisp white snow turn a warm golden colour. Dark clouds drifted lazily over the sun, blocking out the light and turning day into a mockery of the night.

It was quite a beautiful place really, if it wasn't so damn cold!

Clapping his hands together to try and get the blood circulating again, he doggedly followed his classmates and instructor, concentrating on lifting his booted feet from the deceptively deep snow that blanketed the road and the paths.

As he was contemplating whether or not his toe had fallen off in his sodden socks, he could hear parts of the muttered conversation between the two cadets in front of him.

"Still dangerous around here…attacks still going on….wolves, bears and foxes apparently…someone has seen a sabre-toothed cat too..."

Sulu raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing this. Apparently some important things had been discussed while on the shuttle, not that he would have heard as he fell asleep pretty quickly.

The town was being attacked? That didn't sound very good.

Wolves, bears and foxes? Did they mean that there was an infestation or something? Animals stealing food and scaring the residents?

A Sabre-toothed cat? Now that was strange, as he knew for a fact that those had gone extinct centuries ago.

Strange. However, now that he was looking, he could see that the few residents of the town who were outside looked wary, wary enough to be classed as paranoid.

He didn't notice that as he was pondering the information he had caught in that hushed conversation, he had fallen behind the group, and that was what saved him in the end.

With a sound like an explosion, a massive black shape barrelled into the town square, smashing though the quaint little stalls and uprooting the small trees planted in the centre, before charging straight through the small group of cadets, flinging them to the side like unwanted ragdolls. Pandemonium began, as people on all sides panicked and began to run, screaming for the buildings.

It looked as though the hulking shape was not alone in its attack however, as smaller, but no less threatening shapes entered the fray.

Sulu was frozen, having been knocked to the ground as the creature charged his classmates.

It was a bear, just like what he had heard. Only there was no way that was a normal bear.

It stood about nine feet tall with a grizzled black pelt that made it simultaneously look twice as big as it actually was, and appear as though it was decaying. Its teeth were so long, it could not shut its muzzle fully and its claws were about three inches long and razor sharp. Intelligent brown eyes surveyed the carnage with an almost human, morbid fascination before it reared onto its hind legs with far more ease than it should have.

The other shapes were becoming clear too.

He saw monstrous wolves bound in on all fours, their limbs looking abnormally long, before they reared up on hind legs in an eerily human stance. Their forepaws, unlike those of the bear, could not be mistaken for anything other than hands.

Huge, furry hands complete with curving inch long talons.

Small, agile foxes darted across the square, much like the wolves did. One second quadruped, then bipedal with remarkable ease. With high pitched yips and obvious human gestures such as pointing, they sought out the fleeing people and revealed them to the larger and more powerful wolves, which would chase them down and bite them with vicious teeth.

However, Sulu noticed, they didn't seem to kill the once they had bitten them. They seemed to be mindful of arteries and vital areas, and as soon as they were sure they had done what they intended, they left their victim, and the others steered clear as well.

A low growl snapped Sulu back into his immediate and dangerous situation.

The creature had apparently noticed that he was there, and in some form of shock. With a bellow that shook the windows around them, the beast charged towards him with that deceptively fast, stiff- legged lope of a bear.

With a wordless cry, and his cold feet forgotten, Sulu fought for traction on the snowy, icy ground as he sprinted away from the living freight train.

He dodged in-between the fleeing residents and their predators, which were clearly aware of his presence but were apparently leaving him for the bear.

At the last possible second, he dived bodily into a small gap between houses. He hit the ground just as the bear hit the gap with a horrible thud. Too big to force its way through to get him, it swiped at him with its club like paw.

Scurrying backwards, he avoided its claws by a few inches. He could still hear the attack from the other side of the alley, so he was trapped.

Giant bear one side, god knows what on the other.

'I really should've packed that collapsible sword,' he mused, as he pushed himself back further as the bear strained forwards.

Thwarted in its hunt, the monstrous animal released another thunderous roar that forced Sulu to clamp his hands over his ears before withdrawing bitterly, glaring at Sulu with its eerily intelligent eyes.

As soon as its shadow left the gap, Sulu sagged against the wall as his legs refused to support him anymore.

In hindsight, maybe he should have stayed awake while on the shuttle, at least then he would know what was going on, because they were obviously not normal animals.

'I can't stay here,' he decided. The bear was too large to get him, but all it needed to do was get one of the wolves or foxes and he was dog meat.

Ha-ha, dark humour.

Leaning as far as he dared towards the opening, he peered out.

There! What looked like a massive, derelict building site just on the outskirts of town! He wondered how he hadn't noticed it before, but then decided, he didn't care.

He had never been so glad to see something that ugly in his entire life!

If he could make it there, he could hide until the attack had stopped, or he could make it harder for them. There were plenty of things to climb there, and there was bound to be something he could use as a makeshift weapon.

Taking a deep breath, he braced himself against the wall.

It was now or never.

He bolted out of his little refuge into a maelstrom of sound. A thunderous bellow behind him nearly made him lose his footing as he jumped. He had just enough of a mind to duck as that heavy paw arched over his head again in a deadly swipe. He ran faster than he ever had before as the bear started its pursuit again.

'Get to the gates, get to the gates, get to the gates,' was the constant mantra in his head.

The bear was hot in pursuit, moving at a speed belittled by its stature, it was closing the gap horrifyingly fast.

By the time Sulu had breached the rusted iron gates of the site, he was ready to drop.

His breath came in harsh pants that fogged the air in front of him, his lungs felt as though they were lined with shards of ice which burned with every breath. His legs threatened to give out at any moment and still the bear closed in.

With a triumphant growl, the beast launched forwards and caught his booted foot with its paw. Sulu was sent crashing to the ground with a pained grunt, rolling slightly with the momentum he had gained.

He ended up on his back, chest frantically dragging in lungfuls of too-cold air that stung his throat and made his eyes water.

As his hunter lumbered up to him, a look of triumph stretching its features, Sulu knew that he was dead.

Surprisingly, he wasn't panicking; he wasn't terrified like he should have been, instead he was filled with annoyance and disappointment. Clearly he was not destined to go to the stars, and he was to die here, cold and alone at the mercy of a giant bloody bear!

If people were to tell this story, he could not let it be said that the mighty Hikaru Sulu died while he pleaded for mercy, so he did the only thing his pride would allow him to do.

Looking the beast right in the eyes as it lowered its head, a toothy grin upon its muzzle; he spat at it and hissed defiantly "Go to hell."

The creature looked slightly surprised at this, before anger took over and it pinned Sulu down by a heavy paw on his shoulder. Sulu fought to stifle his cry as the bear's claws pricked his skin and his shoulder pulsed with the addition of the huge weight.

As the demon lowered its head to finish the job, Sulu resolutely fixed his gaze on the sky, wanting his last sight to be something beautiful and not of his killer.

The sun had once again peeked out from the ominous black clouds, although it was not completely free. Shafts of golden sunlight streamed down from the heavens, transforming piles of cold snow into warm beacons of gold.

'No, this would not be the worst thing in the world to be your last sight.' Sulu decided, as he waited for death to take him.

Then, the most important event in Sulu's whole life occurred.

It started with the low groaning of heavy metal, being forced to move faster than it should. Sulu's eyebrows knitted in confusion and he was dimly aware of the bear lifting its head towards the direction of the sound.

Then, from around the corner of the main control tower, swung one of the huge industrial hooks which was moving in a great arc towards them.

The bear realised too late that the hook was heading straight for it, and by the time it had figured it out and was attempting to move out the way, the heavy metal slammed into its side and knocked it right off its feet with a horrible crunching noise.

Sulu could barely believe it when a small figure leapt off the makeshift weapon just at the least second, hitting the ground clumsily and staggering slightly. They had lost their hood as they jumped and Sulu could now see that it was in fact a small boy, barely a teenager, with a thin face and large blue eyes.

Right, now he had seen everything.

"Go! Get up! Vhat are you vaiting for!" The boy yelled, his voice cracking slightly under a heavy Russian accent. He had turned towards Sulu, who was still lying on the ground in shock as the bear climbed painstakingly to its paws again.

The hook had clearly done some damage, as the bear was clearly favouring its left side and every harsh breath brought new droplets of red to decorate its tan muzzle. Despite, this, it was still quick and before Sulu could blink, it had surged forwards and clubbed the boy with one of its heavy paws.

Thankfully, the child seemed to have noticed and managed to turn slightly, the bear's paw catching him on the side instead of the back, where it could have been fatal. With a slight yelp of pain and surprise, the boy was flung through the air to land a few feet away from Sulu.

That was what got Sulu back onto his feet.

His heart was in his mouth; a child could have just died trying to save him, while all he did was lay there. New strength flooded his limbs as he rushed towards the boy, expecting the worst.

Surprisingly, the boy looked more winded than anything else and was clearly alive. Noticing the bear's pained approach; he scooped the child up and started to run again.

Due to the angle at which they were, Sulu's easiest choice was to carry the kid underneath his arm by looping an arm around his waist. This was easy enough; the child was short and light. However, he didn't seem to like it very much.

The second Sulu tucked him under his arm, the kid made a scandalised sound and wiggled furiously, trying in vain to reach the ground with his feet so he could remove himself from the position. Unfortunately, the way he was being carried and the speed at which they were moving made it practically impossible.

"Quit squirming, "Sulu gasped as he rounded a corner. The bear was moving pitifully slowly now, he was fairly certain that the hook had done some internal damage, however he still wanted to get as far away as possible, there was no knowing how many more of them there were skulking around.

With a frustrated sigh and what sounded like an annoyed growl, the kid did just that, before reaching out awkwardly and pointing down a small channel to the left.

"Zhere. Go down zhere. Ve must lead eet down zhere."

Deciding that the kid had more of a plan then he did, Sulu grunted an affirmative and followed his instructions.

They sped past piles of rusted girders that were loosely chained together and a number of smelly, faded Porto potties.

"Put me down!" The boy gasped, wriggling again. Grunting when a bony elbow jabbed him in the ribs, Sulu released his hold and unceremoniously dropped him. Landing lightly on his feet, the youth leapt towards an old forklift truck that was sitting nearby. He inspected it closely, muttering in Russian as he did before nodding to himself in satisfaction and gesturing to Sulu to join him.

"You haff good reactions, Da?" he asked.

"Good enough, why?" came the wary response.

"Vhen he comes zhrough here, I vill draw him to ze square," Sulu then noticed the large square, crudely painted on the ground in white paint. "You haff to pull zis vhen he ees een eet," he stated matter-of-factly, pointing at a small unremarkable lever on the control panel of the forklift.

Sulu spluttered in disbelief and was about to let the kid know the flaws in his plan, but before he had a chance, a low roar sounded by the entrance to the channel and the kid had already bounded off towards it like an overexcited pup.

"God dammit," Sulu swore, gritting his teeth and gripping the lever in a white knuckled grip. He had no better idea and the kid appeared to have some sort of plan, despite it still being hidden from Sulu's sight.

Instead he focused on the kid, who had reached the entrance and was hopping excitedly from one foot to the other in a way that suggested he had more energy than he knew what to do with. Sulu was surprised when he saw very little fear in the boy's posture; he seemed anxious, but not at all as though there was a distinct possibility he might get mauled by a monstrous bear.

This was likely what calmed Sulu down slightly.

He was obviously not happy with the situation, he shouldn't have to rely on this scrawny little kid for protection; he was in Starfleet for crying out loud! However, he had absolutely no idea what was going on, and apparently the kid did.

He had reached an impasse.

Movement at the entrance nearly made his heart break out of his chest. The child had literally hopped out of the way of a blow that could have easily brained him and was actually taunting the animal, sticking his tongue out and calling out Russian insults in a singsong voice.

It was official, Sulu had entrusted his life to an insane kid.

Enraged, the animal broke into a pained sprint after the boy, who was darting back to Sulu. He was fairly sure that this was the bear's dying run; it was obviously badly wounded and wanted to cause some final damage before it died, which made it even more dangerous.

They could no longer hope that self-preservation instincts could call it off.

The boy was fast; clearly a good runner, but the bear was just as fast, if not faster. They barrelled down the channel, closing in on the square.

Sulu was barely breathing, the tension was so thick.

Finally, the boy rocketed into the outline, closely followed by the animal.

"Now! Pull eet now!" the boy yelled, and Sulu did just that.

The second Sulu pulled that lever, a horrible 'clunk' sounded from overhead. His head snapping up so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash, Sulu watched in amazement as a huge pile of bricks was disconnected from the main supporting wire and began its descent.

Just in time, the boy leapt out of the danger zone and flew past Sulu with his momentum. The bear, however, was not so lucky. With a sound like a smashing pumpkin, the enormous weight landed square on top of the animal, killing it stone dead.

It worked. It actually worked. Sulu could only blink as he stared at the innocent pile of rubble, beneath which leaked a sickening crimson.

He turned his head to congratulate the kid on his ridiculous yet brilliant plan, but was met with nothing.

Everything about the execution had gone perfectly, until the end, where the kid managed to back into the chain, the counterweight of which was, of course, plummeting towards the unforgiving ground. With a yelp that was unheard, covered by the death of the bear as it was, the boy was hoisted up into the air by his leg, where he hung slightly dazed from his run and the sudden change in blood flow.

When Sulu had located the child, he had to fight to keep from laughing. Eventually he managed to school his features into something becoming of a Starfleet representative and called out to the boy, "Are you sure it's dead?"

This was obviously meant to be taken as sarcasm, but the boy either didn't hear it or didn't understand. Twisting his body awkwardly to get a better look, he responded calmly, "Da, I am fairly certain eet ees dead."

Sulu shook his head and chuckled slightly against his will before addressing the boy again. "Hey kid, what's your name?"

The boy in question puffed out his chest and responded as proudly as he could rotating slightly as the wind picked up. "Pavel Andreivich Chekov. Vhat ees yours?"

"Hikaru Sulu."

"Vell Meester Sulu, vould you be kind enough to help me down?"


	2. Wegetarian Verevolves

**Hello people! Here is the second chapter. The update for 'Hellions' should be early this weekend if everything goes to plan. Please review, even if its just to say hi or to correct a mistake, I love hearing from you guys.**

**Tata for now! :)**

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It was curious that the first time Sulu got a good look at the youth, was when the boy in question was hanging upside down, swinging gently in the breeze while swearing colourfully in Russian as he flailed his arms helplessly.

As Sulu had previously noticed, he was young, likely early teens and appeared to be quite small for his age. His eyes were incredibly sharp and perceptive, an intelligent mix of blues which created their own unique shade. A well-kept pair of steampunk goggles were nestled atop his head amidst a mop of brown curls which were now clearly visible since he lost his hood. Thin hands were encompassed in a ratty pair of dark, fingerless gloves that looked about ready to fall apart, the amount of holes and scorch marks in them. While the long brown coat he was cloaked in was worn and ragged, falling about his head as he hung there.

Sulu wobbled towards the control panel on legs that threatened to give out at any moment. Everything was becoming unfocused, as though he was viewing everything through a pane of frosted glass. He wasn't stupid; he knew that he was going into some form of shock

As soon as he had pulled the lever and started Pavel's slow descent back down to earth, his legs finally gave out and he sagged down against the side of the forklift.

There was a shrill ringing in his ears and his hands trembled violently, his breath came in harsh ragged gasps as he put his head in between his knees like he was taught.

His breaths, the wind and Pavel rattling the chain were the only discernible sounds he could identify through the white noise in his head.

A lightly sharper rattle, a thump and irritated cry of "Черт побери!" told Sulu that Pavel had managed to free himself and had fallen the last little distance.

A few moments later there came to sound of lightly crunching snow and a definite presence setting before him, not announcing itself overly, just waiting patiently a foot or so away from his knees. Raising his head slightly so that one dark eye was free to work, he was greeted with the sight of the small Russian sitting on his heels in the snow before him with his head cocked and a quizzical expression on his face that made him appear oddly like a curious puppy.

"Are you ok?" he asked innocently, and such a simple question asked with the naivety of a child in light of the recent events snapped something in Sulu's head.

A rough, humourless laugh made its way out of the ball of limbs Sulu had turned himself into. "Me ok? I think I should be asking you that! The bear hit you ten feet!"

"Did eet?" Pavel asked, looking genuinely surprised. It was as if he didn't actually register the pain that was sure to have come with such a hit. With furrowed eyebrows he quickly pulled at the hem on his too big shirt and glanced down at his side.

Sulu winced in sympathy: a definite bruise was growing, all dark browns and blues, and a few shallow scratches from its claws, but nothing to bad considering what could have been.

"Oh, I am fine, eet will heal vithin ze veek." Pavel dismissed with a careless hand wave to Sulu's complete astonishment, but before he could voice his doubt on the kid's analysis Pavel's expression became serious again. "You do not look wery good." He stated bluntly.

Once again, Sulu laughed, a high pitched sound bordering on hysterical. "I bet that's putting it mildly, kid." He sniggered as he pressed his face further in to his knees.

Pavel scowled deeply, an expression that looked quite strange on such a youthful face. "I am not a kid," he argued, crossing his arms in an incredibly childish show of petulance.

"Oh yeah?" Sulu countered, one dark eye becoming visible again as he raised an eyebrow. "And exactly how old are you then?"

Pavel tilted his chin up and puffed out his chest as if to make himself appear more mature and important as he proudly stated, "Fourteen."

Despite knowing that he was going to be young, Pavel actually stating his age made it all the more apparent and Sulu could not erase the surprise and concern than clearly showed on his face. "Then you are most definitely a kid, kid."

Instead of the angry retort Sulu was expecting, all he got in response was the defeated sigh and visible slumping of the boy in front of him as he pointedly looked away and stared as some point behind Sulu with sad eyes.

Clearly, his age was a sore spot and Sulu made to apologise for dismissing him so quickly when Pavel jumped to his feet and grabbed one of Sulu's arms in a deceptively strong grip.

"Come on, eet ees getting dark. You vill stay here tonight. Ve must go now, or zhey might come back."

Surprisingly, Pavel did actually manage to pull Sulu to his feet, despite the older man being unable to assist. Indeed, the sun was beginning to set, turning the sky into an explosion of reds, yellows and pinks, a warm display that opposed the building chill of the night.

Together, the ambled forwards at a snail's pace, heading determinedly towards the main control tower, which looked like a three story concrete cylinder rising out of the middle of the site.

"Ken you climb?" Pavel's voice sounded like an echo in Sulu's head. Blinking sluggishly, feeling like everything was floating away from him, he saw that they had indeed made it to their destination and he was facing a rusted metal ladder that went straight up the side of the structure. Pavel was already a few feet up, his arm wrapped around the metal as he looked down with a worried glance.

Slightly touched at the boy's obvious concern, he nodded his head as solidly as he could while it felt as though it was stuffed with cotton wool, "Yes, I think so."

Pavel smiled bright. "Good, zhen I vill meet you at ze top and giwe you a varm velcome, da?" And with that, he shot up the ladder like a squirrel on caffeine and left Sulu to begin the torturous ascent.

It took far too much time and effort for Sulu to make it to the top of the tower, and when he did reach the peak, he was shaking and sweating and felt it was a distinct possibility that he would just pass out then and there, falling to his death.

But then there was a thin hand gripping his wrist and he was assisted into the interior of the tower, where he just lay where he fell and simply revelled in having something vaguely solid underneath his body again.

Despite its rather cold and unwelcoming exterior appearance, the interior of the control tower was surprisingly cosy. A small fire was crackling merrily in a small indentation in the floor, casting flickering shadows on the walls as it devoured scraps of paper and a few short sticks. A large desk stood against one of the walls, upon which sat an actual computer that looked considerably more well-kept than the rest of the items in the room. A worn tan sofa was on the other side of the room, absolutely covered in blankets and sheets in a tangled pile.

There was a painful jolt in his chest when he realised that this was where Pavel lived, and that nest of blankets must be where he slept.

A loud 'thud' rang through the room as Pavel managed to shut the heavy metal door with some effort and then all of the sounds from outside just stopped, it was like the room was a vacuum, a perfect escape from everything outside.

Sulu blinked sharply as a hand on his chest pushed him back onto the sofa and a shot glass containing clear liquid was held in front of his face.

"Here, drink," Pavel coaxed, holding his own glass in his other hand. Deciding that if the kid had some it couldn't be all that bad, Sulu took it with a nod of thanks and tossed it back…

Only to have to fight not to cough it back up. The burn coated his throat and his eyes stung madly at the strength of the liquor and the lack of preparation for it.

"What the hell was that!?" he managed eventually, when he managed to make sounds that sounded vaguely like words.

Pavel just looked at him as if he was slow. "Wodka," he stated simply. Then, to Sulu's surprise, downed his own shot, his face showing no indication of the burn that must have accompanied it.

"Why did you just give me vodka?"

"Eet ees vhat you do vhen people are een shock, giwe zhem alcohol, nyet?" Pavel stated distractedly, as he took both empty glasses and deposited them on the desk amidst countless little half-finished inventions.

As unexpected as it was, Sulu had to give him that one. "Oh, yeah right, thanks." came his eloquent response.

Pavel raised one hand in indication that he had heard and began rooting around in the deep draws of the desk before pulling out numerous bottles of vodka, all full and unopened.

"Whoa, whoa!" Sulu barked, hauling himself up some difficulty and snatching the bottle Pavel was holding out of his hands, to the kid's obvious annoyance. "Why the hell do you have all of this, you shouldn't even be drinking!"

Pavel gave him a disapproving look. "Zhese are not for drinking, Zhat vun ees." With that he snatched the bottle back and placed it with its fellows before gesturing vaguely to the sofa, where Sulu could see another bottle sat on the floor, still three quarters full.

Sulu would normally class himself as a pretty laid back guy. Popular enough but fairly introverted. The sort of guy most people liked, but he didn't often go out of his way to socialise with people or butt in to their business, out of respect and a healthy dose of disinterest. However, this kid, he had known for barely an hour, was already making him break these self-appointed rules without even knowing it.

"I am Russian," Pavel continued proudly, "I vas practically raised on Wodka."

Sulu didn't have the energy to argue with him, and just shook his head in exasperation. "You know what, fine. I ain't your father. If they aren't for drinking, what do you need them for?"

"Molotov's," came the immediate response as Pavel began separating the alcohol until each bottle was only half full, bringing out other empty bottles to help with this.

"Molotov's…" Sulu repeated stupidly, not quite sure he had heard right, and also slightly unnerved by the intense expression Pavel had donned as he began ripping up rags and stuffing the strips of cloth down the necks of the bottles before putting the finished bombs to the side. "What would you need Molotov's for, exactly?"

Pavel actually stopped his work and turned to face him, an expression of pure disbelief on his face.

"Een case zhey come back, of course." His voice was far too condescending for a fourteen year olds and Sulu felt a surge of self-defence brewing.

"Hey! If you can't tell, I'm kinda not from around here, so don't look at me like I should know everything that's going on!" he huffed, feeling quite immature as he did so. It didn't help that Pavel had set his bombs down and was starting at him with his arms crossed and a disbelieving expression on his face, one that again, truly did not fit his age.

"Da, I ken tell you are not from here, I'm not stupid. You mean to tell me zhat you came all ze vay to Russia vithout hearing about ze Оборотни?"

At Sulu's blank stare, Pavel sighed and shrugged his thin shoulders helplessly, trying to grasp the correct word in Standard. "Um, Оборотни… Verevolves!" he eventually crowed, looking incredibly triumphant.

"Werewolves?! You've gotta be kidding me, Kid! You're young, but you should know by now that they don't exist." Sulu snorted, burying his head once again in his hands.

Of course he would be stuck for the next few days with a tiny teenage pyromaniac who has free reign to Vodka and believes in fairy tales; whole heartedly apparently, judging by the heated blush covering the boy's cheekbones and angry glare he was receiving.

"Zhey do exist! I just sawed you from a particularly nasty one! Ken you honestly look me een ze eye and tell me zhat vas an ordinary bear?"

Ok, scratch that. A tiny teenage pyromaniac who has free reign to Vodka and believes in fairy tales; who actually has a valid point.

"So they were biting people to what? Infect them." Sulu chuckled nervously, slightly more unnerved now that the ridiculous notion appeared to have a bit of backbone.

"I vould imagine so, Da." Pavel had gone back to making his bombs, pleased that he had eventually gotten through to the stubborn man.

"But it's not even a full moon, don't they need that to transform or whatever?"

"No, Veres ken change anytime of ze day eef zhey vant to, especially eef there ees a pack of zhem."

"But how come they aren't killing the people they bite, and aren't, you know, eating people?"

"They hawe more control zhan people zhink, zhey aren't completely mindless beasts, and as for ze second question," Pavel turned slightly, his face slightly more amused than the situation called for. "Maybe, zhey are wegetarian Verevolves."

Funnily enough, it was that comment that sent Sulu over the edge into blissful unconsciousness.

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**Russian Translations (By Google Translate, so likely nothing like the actual translations.)**

**"Черт побери!" = "Damn it!"**

**"Оборотни" = "Werewolves"**


	3. Cold as Moonlight

**Hello people! Here is the next chapter. Not much to say at the moment except that I hope you enjoy. Please review! **

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Leaning back against a solid column of metal with one leg hanging off into space, Pavel was attempting to stich up some of the larger holes in his gloves when the attack started.

The yips, howls and bellows carried on the wind like autumn leaves; sharp and plentiful. While sinuous shadows slunk into the outskirts of the town.

Hissing sharply as the shaking needle pricked a finger bordering on frozen, he gave up. Snapping the thread with his teeth and putting the kit away in a small tub he tucked away in one of his many pockets, before leaning back and watching the events unfold.

He observed with a resigned detachedness that was unnerving to see in one so young.

The townspeople had made it no secret that he was unwelcome there, hence why he had to make do in the abandoned building site.

It was like watching a lioness hunting an antelope; you root for the poor herbivore, but when the inevitable happens and the great cats catch one of them, you don't bawl your eyes out. You feel a twinge of regret and then you move on, soon forgetting the whole ordeal.

He didn't have any particular favourites, the Humans didn't like him, and the Weres didn't like him either. He didn't wish for anyone to die, but he had resigned himself to knowing that it was a very likely possibility and had long since stopped being hugely affected by it.

While calm blue eyes surveyed the carnage below, one particular shadow caught his attention and made his blood boil.

That heavy lumbering frame and ratty black fur could only belong to one Were; чесотка, as Pavel had named him, after his pitch black, mangy pelt.

While he was not overly fond of any of them, that damn bear was one of his least favourite creatures in the world! He kept sauntering into the site, stealing Pavel's stuff, destroying his laboriously build traps and generally taunting him.

'Look at you, and look at me. You can never beat me. Accept that, Runt,' the bear's maliciously glittering eyes had practically sung the last time they met face to face.

If memory served him correctly, Pavel had tossed a Molotov at him.

Fishing out a small pair of binoculars out of his pocket, he narrowed in on the bulky shadow. A flicker of pride flared when he could make out the still healing burn over the beast's right ear running down its side.

Чесотка moved forwards in a poor attempt at a sinuous stalk, however it remained unnoticed by the group of strange people dressed in red until he had charged into their midst and flung them around like ragdolls.

Narrowing his eyes in interest, Pavel attempted to get a better look at the newcomers. All of them seemed to be wearing the same clothing, a uniform of some sorts; all of them were the same shade of red except for the man leading the group, who's was a dull grey.

Now, however, even the leader's had been stained the dark crimson of blood as чесотка stood amidst the corpses of its victims.

Sighing, Pavel was just turning to see what was happening at the other side of the square, when he noticed the slight movement.

It was a man, who had evidently not been in the main group when the initial attack started. He was sprawled on the ground, simply staring at the creature. It was only after the beast gave a great roar and started towards him, that the man regained his wits and began to run.

Pavel was so uncharacteristically enthralled by the confrontation that he didn't realise that he was standing until the chase moved out of his line of vision and he was forced to jump precariously to the next girder to continue watching.

His heart was threatening to leap right out of his chest; in all the other instances where he was witness to an actual hunt like this, he had never before found himself to be affected.

The man darted into a small gap between two buildings that чесотка was too large for, and when the beast couldn't stop in time and crashed into the harsh stone, Pavel hooted with laughter and he decided that he wanted this particular man to live.

It was only when the man burst from his cover and made a beeline straight for the building site and him that Pavel realised that he actually could help.

An idea already forming in his head, he leapt up with a cry of "I ken do zhat!" and darted around the cold metal columns, slipping underneath the arches until he was standing next to the industrial hook that would have been used for lifting the heavy building supplies.

"Ahh," he breathed as he saw the truly terrifying drop, and caught sight of the massive shadow bearing down on the defenceless man. "You'we finally lost it, Pasha."

Then, before he could convince himself that this was a truly stupid idea and that he had no business interfering, he kicked the locking mechanism sharply and hung on for all his worth as the hook dropped and then swung with him still upon it.

* * *

Pavel watched with one eyebrow raised in a distinctly unimpressed expression, as the man, Mr Sulu he now knew, dropped in a dead faint on the control tower floor.

With a long suffering sigh, he abandoned what he was doing and attempted to manoeuvre him into a more comfortable position on the sofa. Almost immediately, however, a flare of pain erupted from his side and he jumped back with a truly pathetic yelp. Blinking back tears, he examined the wound once more; he did exaggerate a little when he told Mr Sulu that he was fine, the wound was an angry red and hot to the touch. It was a fairly good guess to assume that the bear's claws were none too clean and any bacteria would have already had their chance to begin their work, there wasn't too much he could do about that now.

Damn that bear could hit!

The attack was waning now, the screams and roars coming fewer and far between. Moving stiffly towards the door, he slipped out, careful not to wake his guest who he left where he was. Perching on his usual roost, he surveyed the damage with a critical eye; not too bad in comparison to some of the others he had seen. Naturally, his thoughts and gaze drifted to the brick pile not far from the tower. The sickening red pool glistened in the eerie light of the moon and stars, looking almost black.

Pavel wrinkled his nose is disgust as he realised that he would have to find a way to get rid of the body the next morning, or risk the wild animals or other Weres becoming more interested in his hideout, not to mention to get rid of the smell.

It was a strange and unfamiliar feeling, having another person in is sanctuary, much less someone he didn't actually know, however it was not a terrible sensation and it beat the crushing loneliness he was otherwise accustomed to.

Hell, he had long since passed the point of talking to himself just to hear someone's voice, even if it was just his own!

He wouldn't lie to himself and say that the stranger intrigued him as well; it was one of the main reasons he had interfered and saved him. The uniform Mr Sulu and the others had worn, while initially unfamiliar, now with a closer look, he identified it as Starfleet. The man himself was also interesting; his skin was golden, not pale like his or of many of the people who lived in the village. He kept a clear head throughout most of the attack and had used his initiative to come to the building site, where his best chance would lie. Despite a number of small reasons and qualities that popped into his head, he couldn't pinpoint a one in particular that lead to his intervention apart from the fact that he felt compelled to.

Something white ghosted across his vision, drawing his distracted gaze. It had begun snowing again, the tiny intricate structures drifting lazily in the breeze, their numbers increasing by the second. As one landed on the tip of his nose, Pavel gave in to the childish compulsion to cross his eyes in an attempt to see it.

He was grateful for the low grinding of the door, alerting him to his guest's now, more active state, and he was able to compose himself before he was joined.

To his relief, Mr Sulu didn't attempt to join him on his narrow and precarious perch, instead he leant against the main structure, not far from the door.

"You know, that's a risky place to sit, kid," Mr Sulu's voice was much calmer than it was previously and gave no indication that he had fainted like a little girl only a little while before.

"Risky? Pah! Vhat in zhis place ees not risky?" Pavel deflected skilfully, waving his hand towards the town they were overlooking.

"Is this bad?" The man asked, not looking at Pavel. When no answer was forthcoming, he twisted his upper body and elaborated. "I'm assuming that this isn't the first attack, is this a bad one?"

Sensing that the answer he was going to give, was not the one Mr Sulu was looking for, he averted his gaze and spoke in a softer, more sympathetic tone than he would normally.

"Nyet, zhis ees a fairly good vun. Eet doesn't look as bad as zhe ozers and ve managed to kill vun of zhem een retaliation."

A quick glance at his face told Pavel that Mr Sulu was clearly thinking of the people he arrived with, the people who shared the same uniform. This was not the optimum reaction and Pavel knew from experience and observing it in others, that dwelling on the attacks made them harder to deal with.

"Come on," he said suddenly, jerking the older man out of the dark thoughts he was wading through. "Eet vill only get colder from now on, ve must head back inside now." He climbed back down from his perch and began pushing Mr Sulu lightly towards the door, the other man not putting up much resistance.

Once the door was closed again, the light crackling of the flames replaced the ever increasing howl of the wind. Immediately he could feel the change in temperature and gratefully shrugged off his coat, noting that he had to repair the damage caused by the bear's claws. Realising that Mr Sulu was standing there looking lost and not too much better than before he had passed out, Pavel once again took to forcibly pushing him, this way to the couch.

"You vill sleep now," he ordered in his most authoritative tone, which was arguably not that impressive. Clearly the other man was still in fairly poor condition as he once again provided no resistance and simply stared at Pavel with bleary eyes that clearly denoted the shock he was still in. "You are not used to zhis, you vill sleep here tonight."

"What 'bout you?" Mr Sulu slurred, trying to sit back up but failing miserably.

Pavel waved away the question carelessly. "Do not vorry, I am not tired, I hawe a lot of vork to do."

Deciding to start on something small to reassure the older man, he began stitching up the holes in his jacket by the firelight, every now and then shooting Mr Sulu disapproving looks whenever he saw that the other was still awake. It was when he had finished that he looked up to see that his companion had finally fallen asleep.

Satisfied with his work, he set the coat and his tools aside and sat, anxiously twiddling his thumbs and alternating looking at the man and the point of the wall, through which he knew the now unveiled half-moon hung in the sky. Shivering, he could practically feel the cold shafts of moonlight on his skin.

Was bringing this stranger into his sanctuary a good idea? While Mr Sulu had shown no intentions of harming him as of yet, he couldn't help but feel wary, especially now that he could show it without fear of being seen.

He was hated by both the humans and the Weres. Should he have risked his safety for the life of a man he didn't even now, and would likely turn against him like all of the others?

Shaking his head, he disbanded the unsettling thoughts for another time, deciding that he would face each problem as it rose, like he had been doing for years now.

Pulling out his gloves that were more holes than fabric, he once again tried to salvage them, flickering his uneasy gaze between the sleeping man and his work. All the while, feeling the cold light of the moon track ice down his spine.

* * *

**чесотка = Mange**


End file.
